Robert B. “Ben” Stratmann

Ben Stratmann has 15 years of combined legislative experience inside the Texas Capitol and professional exposure to Texas politics and public policy. Known for his ability to bring parties together on challenging and politically sensitive issues, Ben has a proven record of shepherding major policies though the legislative process. His areas of expertise include the alcoholic beverage industry, economic development, executive branch affairs, retail electricity, natural resources and water, higher education, public safety, state appropriations and contracting, and transportation.

Experience

Before joining Longbow Partners, Ben served as Chief of Staff to state Sen. Brian Birdwell for seven years over the span of three regular and five special sessions. During that time, Ben led a staff of 12-15 individuals spread over two district offices, two committee offices, and a central Capitol office. Prior to that promotion, he was a Policy Analyst and Communications Director for Birdwell during the 2011 legislative session, later managing his 2012 re-election campaign.

From 2006-10, Ben worked in the offices of Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, and for more than two years, as Special Assistant to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

Background & Affiliations

A fifth-generation Texan and native of Austin, Ben is deeply involved in his community, most recently being tapped for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Board of Trustees for south and central Texas. As part of a four-year Austin City Council appointment, he also recently served as the elected Chair of the Ethics Review Commission, the sovereign body overseeing local ethics and campaign finance issues.

Ben is a Standing Alumni Council member of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, where he was selected as a delegate for a U.S. State Department diplomatic travel program to Morocco and Tunisia in 2016 and later to lead a bipartisan group of American elected officials and policy professionals to Cambodia and Malaysia in the fall of 2019. From 2009-2017, Ben served on the boards of directors and ultimately as President of both the Young Men’s Business League (est. 1913) and its philanthropic arm, the Austin Sunshine Camps.

Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations & Communications from Texas State University and is perhaps best known as an avid golfer and fledgling chef. Ben and his wife Amy reside in Austin.